The sacrifice of three soldiers from the Sudbury area, who were involved in the Normandy landings eight decades ago, will be honoured in a special anniversary ceremony next week.
The Sudbury branch of the Royal British Legion (RBL) is leading a remembrance service at the town’s war memorial at 8.30pm next Thursday, on the 80th anniversary of Operation Overlord – more commonly known as D-Day.
A procession will then march from Gregory Street along to The Croft for a lighting of the commemorative beacon at 9.15pm.
At the forefront of these ceremonies will be the memories of two Sudbury men – Douglas Stock and Harold Mills – and Great Cornard resident Tommy Harrington, who all lost their lives in the aftermath of the D-Day landings.
Colin Smith, chairman of the Sudbury RBL branch, told the Free Press: “The significance of commemorating the 80th anniversary of D-Day is that there are few surviving veterans of this important historical event.
“We have to ensure future generations recognise and remember the sacrifice that this generation made.
“Here, in Sudbury, we are also remembering three local men, who paid the ultimate sacrifice.”
Historical records reveal that Lance Cpl Douglas Stock, who was born on November 21, 1919 and lived in East Street, had attended Sudbury Grammar School and, as a keen sportsman, played for the former Sudbury Hotspur team.
Prior to being called up for the war, he worked as a newspaper reporter for the Suffolk and Essex Free Press from 1936 to 1940, and married Eileen Messant, of Bulmer, in 1941.
As a member of the 3rd Battalion Irish Guards, L-Cpl Stock fought during the D-Day landings in June 1944, but died in a mortar attack a month later, on July 19 – aged just 24.
He is buried at the Banneville-la-Campagne War Cemetery in Normandy.
Fellow Sudbury man Sergeant Harold Mills – one of two twins from Melford Road, who was married to Ethel Collar of Bures – had landed in France as part of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve.
He died on August 22, 1944, and is interred at the Bayeux War Cemetery in Normandy.
Finally, Tommy Harrington – son of Ivy Harrington, from Phillips Field in Great Cornard – had worked in the stores at Arlingtons in Cornard Road, before enlisting with the Royal Marines.
He became a member of the No. 45 Commando unit – part of the 1 Special Service Brigade that landed on Sword Beach, tasked with capturing the port and linking up with the airborne forces at the Caen Canal Bridge.
He died on August 20, 1944 and is now buried in Ranville War Cemetery.
Crosses of remembrance were laid at the graves of all three men in April 2010.
The stories of the Sudbury soldiers are documented in the historical text No Glorious Dead – The Impact of War on Sudbury, a Suffolk Market Town, co-written by Val Herbert and Shirley Smith.
Information about all three men is also recorded for posterity at www.sudburyheritagecentre.co.uk and the roll of honour at www.cornard.info.
